Circuit-breaker.



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patented Aug. 26, I902.

F. BENZINGER. CIRCUIT BREAKER.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1902.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR 2 "05m! PETERS cu, wuomu'mu, wAsmNcTon n Patented Aug. 26,I902. v F. BENZINGER. cmc'un' BREAKER.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1902.)

2 Sheets-$heet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BENZINGER, OF UNION HILL, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALINOANDESOENT ARO LIGHT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,952, dated August26, 1902.

Application filed January 29,1902. Serial No. 91,739. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FREDERICK BENZINGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Union Hill, State of New Jersey, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is aspecification. 7

My invention consists of an improvement in the latch for the switchlever shown in United States Letters Patent No. 686,918, dated November19, 1901, and granted to Henry Price Ball, assignor, for automaticcircuit-breaker.

The object of the invention is an improved construction of latch byreason of which the tripping of the latch to release the switch-lever ismore readily effected and with the expenditure of less current energythan is necessary with the latch construction described in theabove-mentioned patent of Ball.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention and inwhich similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial sec tion and shows the latch ina locked posi tion. Fig. 2 is a front elevation with theactuating-magnet for the latch in section. Figs. 3 and 4c are sideelevations showing, respectively, the latch in a position to unlock andunlocked. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the latch. Fig. 6 isa bottom view of the latch.

The construction of the circuit-breaker shown in the drawings isidentical with that shown in the patent of Ball, No. 686,918, abovereferred to, with the exception of the latch, and I therefore will notdescribe it, except in part.

In the drawings, A represents a base-plate. Secured to the front of thebase-plate are the metallic contact blocks 13 B. Pivotally mounted infront of the contact-blocks are the switch-levers O. Arranged in frontof the contact blocks are the reciprocating spring-bridges D. Locatedbetween the levers O is a magnet E, within which is an armature F.Located above the armature is a reciprocating pin G and over this pin ahorizontally-disposed bar H, preferably of insulating material. Pivotedin the contactblocks B are the latches I, which take over pins J in theupper portion of the levers O. Located behind the latches I are springsK, which normally force the latches downward. The latches, it will beobserved, are located over the horizontal bar H.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the latch I has a slot Lformed in the under part of its projecting portion and, further, thatsuch projecting portion is cut away to form a concave cavity M, whichcorresponds to the upper surface of the rod H. Pivoted in the cavity Lof the latch I at N is a lever O, the pivotal point of which, P, isnearest the forward end, and, as will be seen on reference to Fig. 1,which shows the latch in a closed position, the pivotal point of thelever O is slightly above the bottom of the latch and to the rear of theaxis of the pin J in the lever O.

The operation of my device is as follows: Then a current of electricityin excess of a predetermined amount is sent through the instrument, thearmature F is caused to move rapidly upward in the magnet E. This upwardmovement is transmitted through the pin G to the horizontal rod H,lifting this rod vertically, which in turn first acts upon the long endO of thelever O, which at the time is situated below the concave openingin the latch I, lifting it and depressing the forward end 0 ofwthe leverO, as shown in Fig. 3, which bearing upon the upper surface of the pin Jraises the point of the latch I slightly above the horizontal axis ofthe pin J and subsequently upon the under portion of the latch itself tocarry the point of the latch above the pin J, as shown in Fig. 4,thereby releasing the lever O and allowing the circuit-breaker to open.

My improved latch is applicable for use in single or double polecircuit-breakers or in other instrument or situation where it is desiredto supplement the power of the actuatin g-magnet by a lever device firstacting upon the latch.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In an automaticcircuit-breaker,the combination of a switch-lever, a'latch for said 5bination of a switch-lever, a latch for said lever, mechanism energizedby a magnet for releasing said latch, and mechanism interposed betweensaid latch and magnet mechanism for aiding said magnet mechanism to IOrelease the latch.

3. In an automatic circuit-breaker, the co mbination of a switch-lever,a latch carrying a pivoted lever adapted to coact with saidswitch-lever, and mechanism for acting upon 15 said pivoted lever andlatch to release the switch-lever.

4. In an automatic circuit-breaker,the combination of a pivoted latch, apivoted lever carried in said latch, a pivoted arm located 20 under suchlatch and lever, and means for causing an upward movement of said arm.

5. In an automatic circuit-breaker, the combination of a pivoted latch,a pivoted lever carried in said latch and having its fulcrum near to theforward end of the latch and the long end of said lever normallysituated below the under surface of said latch, and means for causing anupward movement of said lever and latch.

6. In an automatic circuit-breaker, a pivoted latch having a recess inthe under portion of its forward end, and provided with a lever pivotedin said recess in such manner that the long end of the lever willnormally lie below the under surface of the latch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

FREDERICK BEN ZINGER.

Witnesses:

J. B. OowEN, EDWARD M. GERRY.

